Strangers Like Me
by August08
Summary: Archie-centric. A different look at Archie's life from toddler years to when he's brought to New Olympia. Sorry for the lousy summary, I'm really bad with them.
1. A New Sibling

**A/N**: This story was inspired by the song "_Strangers Like Me_" by Phil Collins. The song is originally from the movie "_Tarzan_", but I thought it could go well with Class of the Titans.

**Disclaimer**: As always I don't own COTT or the lyrics to "_Strangers Like Me_", the song belongs to Phil Collins.

However, I do own Richard and Rodna King, Duke, Brock, Heather, Lena and Maria.

* * *

This wasn't something he was new to. He had gone through the process of receiving a new baby sibling three times before this. It had gotten to the point where he just didn't care. It was the same thing over and over again. He had developed a list of what order the process went in:

1. Mommy finds out she's having baby  
2. Everyone freaks out because they're happy for her  
3. Everyone asks the big brother or sister if they're happy they're having a baby brother or sister.  
4. People give Mommy gifts for the baby (the item the present is depending on if it's a boy or a girl)  
5. The baby's born  
6. Number two happens all over again  
7. Mommy comes back from the hospital  
8. The older brother or sister is placed on the back burner while the baby hogs all the attention  
9. Older brother or sister has to keep his/herself from shoving the lousy runt in the mail box to send his/her brother/sister away  
10. Mom and Dad get mad at older sibling for trying to get rid of baby

It was a pretty long list for a seven-year-old.

"Duke, we're going to see Mommy."

Duke sighed when he heard the sound of his two-year-old sister's voice. There were now five King siblings. Duke really didn't care what he got this time. He was seven, Brock was five, Heather was three, and Lena was two. Their father had told them that they had a new baby brother. Heather had whined that she didn't want another brother and asked if they could have a sister instead. Three-year-olds. Duke was surprised it wasn't Lena who had complained.

He got up from his small writing desk and stalked out of his room. His siblings and father were already by the door and were waiting for him.

"Come on, Sport, you want to see Mom and your new brother, don't you?" Mr. King asked.

Duke only shrugged. He wanted to see his mother, but he felt indifferent to see the "bundle of joy" his family had received. The family headed outside and down to the limo. The Kings were the richest family in town. Duke still didn't understand what his father did for a living. All he knew was it made his family rich.

Duke climbed into the back of the long, black car. Brock, Heather and Lena climbed in next to him and Mr. King climbed in last. He closed the door and told the driver they were ready. The limo pulled out of the driveway and headed out through the gate. Duke watched as the house faded from view. Step number five through ten was happening all over again.

* * *

Hospitals always smelt funny. They smelt like cleaning supplies, and the air was always stale. Brock wrinkled his nose at the funny smells. He would never get used to hospitals.

"Alright, kids, here's Mommy's room," Mr. King announced.

He led the four young children into the small room. Mrs. King was lying in bed with a strange plastic bed sitting beside her on a tray with wheels. Brock looked up into the plastic bed. A small baby lay inside. Mr. King helped his daughters up on to the bed so that they could give their mother a hug.

"How are my girls?"

"Good," Lena replied.

Heather peered down into the container.

"Why is he small?" she asked, pointing down at her new brother.

Mr. and Mrs. King glanced at each other. It had been an early delivery. A month early, to be exact. But, how to explain to a seven, five, three, and two-year-old that their baby brother had been born a month premature?

"Is he going to live?" Lena chimed innocently.

"Yes, sweety, he'll live," Mrs. King replied sweetly.

Duke looked down at the infant from his perch on the chair. Something looked funny about the baby, but he couldn't place it. Maybe it was because the infant was so tiny. It was a wonder he was alive. Duke sank down into the chair and heaved a dramatic sigh. He would have liked a sister more than a brother. Girls just seemed more fun to torment than boys. Maybe because girls gave more satisfying reactions when something gross and slimy crossed their path. It worked with Lena and Heather all the time. Of course, they were still only toddlers, but he had lots of time to perfect his tricks.

"When can we play with him, Mommy?" Lena asked.

"Not for a while, sweetheart," Mrs. King answered.

"How come?" Lena questioned.

"He's still very small. And, he won't be able to understand the games you want to play," her mother explained.

"Oh."

Lena looked back at her baby brother.

"What's his name?" Heather chimed.

Brock tilted his head to the side as he studied his brother's features.

"Have you seen pictures of that guy with the wacky heel?" he put in.

Everyone looked at him.

"Which guy with the wacky heel?" Heather asked.

"You know. Maria tells us about him at bedtime," Brock replied. "His name started with an 'A'."

"Achilles?" Duke asked dully.

"Yeah, him," Brock pointed out. "He kind of looks like Achil...Achille...uh...what was his name?"

"Can we just call him Archie?" Lena asked. "It's too much trouble to say the other guy's name."

"How about Alexander?" Heather suggested.

"I want Achilles," Brock protested.

"Archie sounds better," Lena put in.

"Duke, what do _you_ think we should call the baby?" Mr. King asked.

Duke looked up at his father. It was the first time he had been asked to name a sibling. He turned back to the small infant in the plastic bed. He liked all three names.

_"How many names is a baby allowed to have?"_ Duke asked himself.

He turned to his parents.

"How about all three?" he suggested.

Everyone looked at him.

"Is that allowed?" Heather asked.

"Which name do you think should come first?" Mrs. King asked Duke.

"Archie," Duke replied.

Lena smiled in satisfaction.

"And what comes after that?" Mr. King asked.

"Alexander," Duke answered.

Heather beamed with delight.

"And then it's Achilles," Duke finished. "Sorry, Brock."

"I don't care. As long as it's in his name somewhere," Brock explained.

"Archie Alexander Achilles King. Now that's a mouth full," Mr. King commented.

"How about we call him Triple A King?" Lena suggested.

Everyone laughed. Leave it to a two-year-old to come up with a nickname for a newborn. Duke watched as baby Archie began to wake up. He found himself smiling.

_"So what if he looks different?"_

You could never stay jealous of a newborn for very long. At least, you could never stay jealous while they were still in the hospital. It was completely different story when they're brought home.

_"Guess you'll just have to grin and bear it,"_ Duke told himself.

* * *

And that's it for this chapter. What do you think? Worth continuing?


	2. Fears Develop

**A/N**: Sorry for the long wait. I've been preoccupied with other matters (mostly writer's block). Hope you can forgive me. As an apology, here's chapter two. I hope you're still interested with this story.

* * *

_Two years later..._

The world was such a big place, at least to a two-year-old is was. Archie stumbled into his parent's room. It was bigger than the other bedrooms, and a lot more interesting. He walked into the washroom. His grey-blue eyes sparkled with curiosity. A strange colored bottle sat on the sink counter. Standing up on his toes, Archie reached up and brushed his tiny fingers against the bottle. It rocked slightly. Archie hit the bottle again. This time there was enough force to knock the bottle over. A strange liquid poured from the top.

"Uh oh," Archie said.

The strange liquid was making the floor slippery.

"Ria!" Archie called. "Ria!"

He took one step forward. His foot slipped and he fell. Footsteps pounded down the hall. Maria ran into the room.

"Ria."

Maria hurried into the washroom and scooped Archie into her arms. She frowned when she saw the odd colored substance running through Archie's hair. The toddler sniffed.

"Are you hurt?" Maria asked.

"Ankle."

"What?"

"It hurts. My ankle hurts."

"Both?"

Archie shook his head, making the sticky substance run down his face.

"Right."

Maria checked the boy's ankle. Archie winced when his care-taker touched his right heel.

"Ow."

Maria sighed. There was something wrong with his right heel. She rubbed Archie's back to try to calm him down.

"Shh, come on, you're okay," she whispered.

Archie sniffed and wiped the tears from his face.

"Feeling better?" Maria asked.

Archie nodded.

"Now, let's get you cleaned up," Maria said.

* * *

A few minutes later Archie was happily splashing around in the warm water of a bath. Maria smiled as she tried not to get too wet. She gently massaged Archie's scalp, in an effort to try to get whatever he had knocked over out of his hair. She just hoped it wasn't permanent. Maria picked up a plastic tub and began rinsing the shampoo out of Archie's hair. She covered his eyes to prevent anything from getting in them. Naturally, Archie whined. This was the part he hated. But, soon, Maria was putting her hand down and he could see again. He looked up at her and frowned.

"Ria? What wrong?" he asked.

"Your Mommy is in for a big surprise," Maria said.

"Why?"

Maria picked up the bottle and looked at the label. Her eyes grew wide when she saw that it had been hair dye. Now, she _really_ hoped it wasn't permanent. Hair dye couldn't change a person's hair color completely, could it? It wasn't possible. Unless it was some kind of mutation, unnatural hair color just did not appear in a child's genes. Maria had to sigh in relief at that fact. She looked down at the toddler and smiled. He smiled back. His grey-blue eyes sparkled with mischief.

Maria picked Archie up out of the water and wrapped a towel around his small body. She brought him out to his room. Maria placed Archie on his bed and took out some clothes.

"When is Mommy coming home?" Archie asked.

"She should be here soon," Maria replied.

She walked over to the bed and began the process of dressing the toddler. She was very careful when she slipped his socks on to his feet. The last thing she wanted was to injure his right heel even more. After a while, Archie began to bounce on his bed. Maria smiled. He was always full of energy. She finished dressing him. Archie jumped off the bed and trotted out of the room.

"Be careful, young master Archie," Maria called. She jogged after the two-year-old. But, he had disappeared from sight.

She ran throughout the house asking other workers if they had seen Archie. One man said he had seen the boy head off for the backyard. Maria raced outside. She nearly screamed. Archie was making a beeline for the pool. Maria broke into a run.

"Archie!" she yelled.

Archie walked up to the side of the pool and looked down into the water. He lend over to get a better look at the somehow fasinating clear blue water.

"Archie!" Maria screamed.

A fountain of water sprang up as Archie toppled into the water.

* * *

The last thing he remembered was looking at his reflection. Now, he was slowly drifting to the bottom of the pool. Suddenly, the water didn't seem so friendly anymore. He couldn't breathe and he was too scared to move. He tried kicking his legs, but instantly stopped when a sharp pain shot up his right leg.

_"Ria!"_ he silently cried. _"Ria!"_

He felt familiar arms wrap around his body and quickly pull him to the surface. Archie gasped for air and coughed. Maria climbed up on to the side of the pool and held Archie close to her. He was like a son to her. Archie pushed himself further into the comforting arms of his care-taker and favorite maid.

"I don't like the water," the toddler whimpered.

The crystal blue water seemed dark and foreboding. It no longer seemed friendly and inviting. Maria gently rubbed Archie's back.

"You're okay," she whispered. "You're safe now."

Some of the other workers had come out to see what had happened. They saw a soaking wet Archie and Maria sitting beside the pool.

"Maria, what happened?"

"Shh," Maria hissed. "Not now, Claude."

The gardener fell silent.

"I'll tell you later," Maria whispered, while still rocking a shaking Archie.

One thing was certain, the poor boy would never like water for the rest of his life.

* * *

A few hours later Mrs. King walked through the door.

"I'm home!" she called.

"Mommy!"

Maria came out of the living room carrying an ecstatic Archie. Mrs. King held her arms out. Maria put Archie on the floor and he trotted over to his mother, who picked him up and gave him a hug.

"How was your day, Sweetie?" she asked.

"Okay," Archie replied.

"Dear boy, what happened to your hair?" Mrs. King asked.

"He found hair dye, ma'am," Maria replied. "He accidentally knocked the bottle over."

Mrs. King looked back at her son. His once brown hair was now replaced by a dark purple. Maria would never admit it out loud, but purple seemed to suit Archie better than brown.

"No matter, it'll grow out," Mrs. King said.

She noticed that Archie was wearing a bandage around his right ankle. She turned back to Maria. The maid felt her heart skip a beat.

"He twisted his ankle," Maria replied softly.

"Then, why was he limping?" Mrs. King asked.

Maria didn't answer right away. How could she explain it without sending her boss's wife into cardiac arrest?

"His right heel is weaker than his left. I don't know how, but something is wrong with his right heel," Maria explained slowly.

Mrs. King headed out the door again.

"Where are we going, Mommy?" Archie asked as his mother walked over to where the limo was parked.

The driver opened the door and Mrs. King climbed in. He closed the door and climbed into the driver's seat.

"Where to, ma'am?"

"The children's hospital," Mrs. King replied.

"Why?" Archie asked.

"We're just going to get your heel checked out, okay?" Mrs. King asked.

"Okay," Archie answered. This had been one crazy day.

* * *

Archie tried to keep back tears of pain as the doctor looked at his right heel. Didn't he know how painful it was?

"Well, there definitely seems to be something wrong. What it is, it's hard to say. It could be a number of things," the doctor told Mrs. King.

"Such as?"

The doctor sighed as he removed his glasses.

"Fractured or weakened bone, torn muscle, weak Achilles tendon, and so on. It's hard to pin-point what the real problem is."

The man looked down at the small child. Tears of pain filled the boy's eyes. The doctor turned back to Mrs. King.

"I can't guarantee that there will be anyway to fix the problem. But, I _can_ give Archie an ankle brace to protect his heel."

Mrs. King could only nod. "That's all anyone can do, I guess," she said quietly.

Archie looked down at his hands. He didn't like seeing his mother upset. The boy looked up to see the doctor talking quietly to his mother. When the man said "The test results show that" the look on Mrs. King's face shone with fear. Before the doctor had looked at Archie's heel, he took a blood test.

_"Am I going to die?"_ Archie thought as he watched the look on Mrs. King's face.

"Thank you, doctor," Mrs. King whispered.

She walked over to the check up bed and picked her son up in her arms. The doctor rummaged around in his desk for something.

"Aha! Here we are."

He held out a strange object. Archie took it cautiously. It looked like some sort of toy.

"Thank you," Archie replied.

The doctor smiled as mother and son headed out the door.

* * *

Maria glanced at the clock. It had been two hours since Mrs. King had left with Archie. Was his heel really _that_ bad? She looked around the living room. Duke, Brock and Heather were playing _Monopoly_ and Lena was watching a _Barbie_ movie.

"Maria, when is Mom coming home?" Duke asked.

"I do not know, master Duke," Maria replied.

Just then, the door opened and Archie trotted through the door. Maria swallowed hard when she saw a gold ankle brace around the toddler's right leg. Mrs. King walked in. She was deathly pale.

"Ma'am? Is everything all right?" Maria asked.

Mrs. King didn't answer. She walked off to her husband's study. Mr. King looked up from his work when his wife walked in.

"Rodna, are you feeling well?" he asked.

Mrs. King closed the door and walked over to the desk.

"Something is wrong with Archie," she breathed as she sat down in a chair in front of the desk.

"What's wrong with him?" Mr. King asked, fearing the worst.

Mrs. King held a hand over her mouth as if afraid to share the awful knowledge.

"Rodna!" Mr. King hissed.

"Our boy is a child from Hades," Mrs. King whispered.

"That's impossible," Mr. King said.

"The doctor said Archie would never be able to get sick. And, remember when he fell down the stairs last month?" Mrs. King asked. "It was a miracle he only walked away with a sprained ankle."

"Even then, he healed from that a day later," Mr. King pointed out.

He didn't want to admit it. This was his son he was talking about. How could his two-year-old son be sent from Hades?

"Richard, what are we going to do?" Mrs. King gasped.

"Nothing. Archie is our son. He always will be, no matter what. Just...be cautious. You know...just in case," Mr. King explained.

* * *

I've had enough of this chapter! It's taken me almost a full stinkin' month to write! Please tell me what you think. I am so sorry for the long delay. And I think I put a too powerful a thought for a two-year-old somewhere in here. Oh well.


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